Shell



0 D. LUCAS.

SHELL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1922.

Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

,, 524 17 far.

0. D. LUCAS.

SHELL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1922.

1,434,784. Patented Nov. 7,1922;

4.9 3 4 slugs-$14551 2. V

Ere/7 for am I 0. D. LUCAS.

SHELL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20. 1922.

Patented Nov. 7, 1922'.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

is Z 0. D. LUCAS.

SHELL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20. 1922.

1,434,784 4 SHETS-SHEET 4 IIIII III Patented Nov. 7, 1922.-

LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO V. M. L. STER, LQNDON, ENGLAND, A BRITISH COM- Application filed June 20, 1922. Serial No. 569,732.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that l, OWEN DAVID LUCAS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 49 Linden Gardens, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Shells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shells intended to be projected into the air from an unr1fl ed gun on the ground for signalling to or gu ding aircraft by means for example of a light or smoke emitting device suspended from a parachute which, with the said device, is thrown from the shell by means of an expelling charge, the said shell being made in three main parts, viz,a base, a nose or head and a connecting tubular body to which the base and the nose or head are connected in such a manner that when the expelling charge is ignited either the base or the nose or head will be forced off and the other of these two parts will remai'n connected to the tubular body.

According to the present invention the base or the nose whichever is intended to remain attached to the tubular body is connected to the latter by means of a portion of the body which is pressed or spun into a circumferential recess in the base or the nose, and the nose or the base whichever is intended to be forced off by the expelling charge is connected to the body by one or more shearing pins; these means of connection are individually not new, and no claim is made to them separately herein.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a side elevation and an axial section shewing one form of the invention in connection with a shell of the parachute signal type.

Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 shewing a form of the invention in connection with a shell of the star or smoke pellet type.

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5, 5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a section shewing the base of a shell provided with a modified form of igniting device.

Figures 7 and 8 are views similar to F igure 2 shewing two modified constructions of parachute signal shells.

Figures 9 and 10 are views similar to Figures {and 5 shewing a modified construction of star or smoke pellet signal shell, and

F i ure 11 is a view similar to Figure 8 shewing a modified form of the shell.

In each of the examples shown, A is the base, B is the nose or head and- C is the tubular body which at one end is pressed or spun into a circumferential recess in the base A or the nose or head B and at its other end is connected to the nose or head or to the base by small pins 6- and bayonet slots c there being for example three such pins and slots. D is the expelling charge and E is the Bickford fuse ignited by the igniting or fuse device. The pins-b are made of such diameter and material that when the bursting charge is i ited they will be sheared and the body base A or to the nose or head B. F is a cupshaped gas-check carried by the base A.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, B is the parachute packed within the hollow nose B and C is the container for the smoke or flame producing composition, which container is arranged within the tubular body C and is connected to the parachute by means of a wire loop C and a swivel C To the rear of the said container is a wood block C which is recessed at C lead shot. This shot is intended to keep the total weight of the shell constant despite differences in the weight of the container C when loaded with different compositions the quantity of shot placed in the recess varying with such differences in weight. The container C is separated from the parachute B and from the wood block C by wads and washers as shewn. The rear part of the said wood block is recessed to receive the expelling charge D which is ignited by means of the Bickford fuse E arranged in the base A. The composition in the container C is ignited by a quick-match G. When the expellin charge D 'is ignited. the block C and t e container C are pressed forward and the nose B is forced off through the intermediary of a wood ring the pins b being sheared during this operation. The block, container and parawill be left connected to the to receive chute are thus expelled and the block; falls away thus leaving the container suspended by the parachute. The igniting device in this example is of the gas operated type and comprises a striker I-I mounted in a casing H which isconnected to the base A by a screw-threaded part it and which carr1es a detonator cap h The striker H is held in the retracted or safe position by a shear pin h and when the gun is fired the gases in the gun barrel operate upon the base of the striker (preferably through a small gas-check 71)) to force the striker against the detonator cap 71?. The flash from this cap reaches the Bickford fuse through small holes in the casing H The said cap. is preferably the cap of a service rifle cartridge and the small gas-check h is preferably constituted by an empty cap of this description.

The aforesaid gas-check F for the shell is connected to the base A by a nut F screwed on the rear end of the casing H This gas-check is made of thin metal and is shaped as shown so that the gases in the gun terior of the barrel, it being understood that the latter is as aforesaid unrifled. The recess for the' Bickford fuse E is closed by two washers E E against the rear one of which the base of the gas-check F bears.

Referring to Figures 3 to 5 K, K- represent the stars or smoke pellets which are packed within the tubular body C of the shell as shown in Figures 4.- and 5 with rimd paper discs k, lcbetween them. The arrangement of the igniting device and the gas-check F is similar to that described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 and the flame from the Bickford fuse E is communicated to the expelling charge D (which in this case is situated in a recess in the front surface of the wood block C") by means of strands of quick-match K arranged as shewn so that all the stars or pellets'are properly lighted before the expelling charge is ignited. The portion ofthe quick-match passing through the wood block 0 and through the wad in front of this block is covered by paraflined paper. In this construction of 2 is replaced by a recessed disc which is I connected to the tubular body. C by means of pins band bayonet slots c---v in asimilar manner to that described with ref-'- rence to the said nose so that this disc is blown out'of the body when the expelling charge D is ignited, the stars or pellets .being expelled In. order to facilitate the placing in position of the said disc the latter has a uare projection B" at its centre as'shewn in. ig ure 4. The shell of Figures 3 to 5 is not intended to have a nose of similar contour to that of Figures 1 and 2 although if debarrel force the sides against the in-.

shell the nose of Fi%res 1 and from the body at the same time. I

sired, such a nose, made of wood for example, might be attached to the disc B.

When a shell in accordance with my invention is intended for use at low altitudes the ignitin may be rep aced by the arrangement shewnby Figure 6 in which the Bickford fuse E in the base A is ignited from the flame resulting from the ignition of the propellin charge in the gun when the latter is fire the flash passing through the small hole f in the nut F and igniting a compressed powder pellet F the flame from which passes to the Bickford fuse E, through a small hole f in a plug F screwed into the base A. i

In the construction shewn by Figure 7 the wood block C is formed on its front surface with a recess to receive the expelling charge D and the igniting device is a combination of the inertia type and the gas pressure operated type. In this case a detonator pellet h is situated centrally in the rear part of the wood block and held in the inoperative position by means of a shearing pin h which is sheared b shock of discharge. The striker H carrie by the gas-check F between which and the rear surface of the base A of the shell a detachable safety pin E is normally dis osed.

The arrangement is such that on disc ar to the aforesaid expelling charge by a Bickford fuse E which is suitably disposed in the wood block C. v

When as in Figure 8 the shell carries a parachute signal intended to be expelled from the rear of the shell, the arachute B is disposed in a split wood cyiinder B arranged in the rear part of the tubular body C and in front of this and resting in contact ,with the front surface of the said wood cylinder there is a split wood disc B through which the connection between the arachute and the composition container passes.

this container being situated between the said disc and felt and card discs arranged at the front end of the tubular body. In this arrang'ement of shell the expelling char e I) is situated in a recess on the undersi e of a metal disc B forming the nose of the shell, the upper part B which may conveniently be made of wood and between which and the said metal disc a felt washer B may be disposed. The igniting or fuse device in this construction is carried by the lower is of the inertia or setack type comprising a detonator pellet k normally held in its inoperative position by a shearing pin it device hereinbefore described the movement of the gas-check F thelower part of of part of the nose and which on shock of discharge is sheared and the detonator brought into contact with a fixed firing needle or pin H. A detachable safety pin H may also be provided. The flash from the detonator ignites a suitable length of Bickford fuse E communicating with the expelling charge D which serves to expel the parachute and the composition container from the rear of the shell (the base being blown oil" during this operation as in this case it is more lightly attached to the tubular-body than is the nose) and also to ignite the composition in the container C In the construction of star or smoke pellet shell shewn by Figures 9 and 10, the stars or pellets K, K-- are arranged end to end in separate tubes K K of which there may be three for example as shewn. These stars or pellets are ignited by quick-match leads K so arranged that the stars or pellets are ignited before they are ejected by charges (one of which is shewn at D") the star or pellet in each tube that is first ejected being ignited before the other in that tube. In this construction the igniting device of Figure 6 is employed.

Figure 11 is similar to Figure 8 except that the needle or pin H sets back on shock of discharge and the pellet 72. is fixed, and that the parachute B is arranged in front of the container C and behind the expelling charge D the pressure from the explosion of which is transmitted to the container C and the base member A Without crushing the parachute. A cavity between the base member A and a wood plug receives shot the quantity inserted being varied as required.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A shell comprising in combination a tubular body, a base member, a nose member, a portion of said body pressed into a circumferential groove in one of said members and ashearing pin connecting the other of said members to said body. said pin engaging in a bayonet slot.

2. A shell comprising in combination a tubular body, a base member, a nose member, an expelling charge, a shearing pin for connecting one of said members to said body so that this member will be blown off when the expelling charge explodes, said pin engaging in a bayonet slot, means for connecting the other of said members to said body so that this member will remain connected to said body when the expelling charge ex plodes and a cupped member carried by said base member to constitute a gas check.

A shell comprising in combination a tubular body, a base member, a nose member, a portion of said body pressed into a circumferential groove in one of said members,

a. shearing pin connecting the other of said' 5. A shell comprising in combination a tubular body, a base member, an expelling charge, a shearing pin for connecting one of said members to said body so that this member will be blown off when the expelling charge explodes said pin engaging a nose member,

other of said members to said body so that this member will remain connected to said body when the expelling charge explodes, a cupped member carried by said base member to constitute a gas check, and an inertia igniting device carried by said nose member.

6. A shell comprising in combination a tubular body, a base member, a nose member, a portion of said body pressed into a circumferential groove in one of said members, a shearing pin connecting the other of said members to said body, said pin engaging 1n abayonet slot, a cupped member carried by said base member to constitute a gas check. an expelling charge and an inertia igniting device carried by said nose member.

7. In a shell the combination with the elements claimed in claim 4, of a. container for a smoke or flame producing composition and a sustaining parachute for said container this parachute being arranged in front of said container and behind the expelling charge.

OWEN DAVID LUCAS.

in a bayonet slot, means for connecting the I 

